The Bonds of Rivalry
by Althea17
Summary: As Seifer and Squall face the aftereffects of the Second Sorceress War, they will discover just how deep of a friendship they had all along underneath the rivalry.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

Edea breathed out a sigh of shame and disappointment. She had been cleaning this window for over an hour now, and she still couldn't see through it.

For as long as she could remember, she dreamed for the life of an ordinary woman. She envisioned herself as the kind of woman to stay at home, clean the house, grow beautiful flowers in her front yard, cook meals for her husband, and raise a family. But as reality would have it, Edea was far from any of those things. She was an ex-sorceress dressed in a dark navy blue shirt tucked into her khaki skinnies with her hair tied up in a bun who couldn't even clean a window properly. It was certainly not the image she expected herself to be.

And as much as she hated to admit, fixing a house, despite it being neglected for over a year, was not her forté. She was naïve to ever think she could actually pull off being a housewife.

_What was I thinking…_

Thunder echoed in her ears, and in an instant, she opened the window to gaze outside. Heavy clouds had already gathered to block out the sun, shading the sky a dark grey. Her lips graced into a smile. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect time for a break.

She stepped out the front door, staying under the roof for the upcoming storm and ignoring her poor excuse of a front yard with bits and pieces of the broken columns scattered around. Edea loosened her hair tie, letting the wind cool breeze through her black silky strands. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the warmth and chill of the thunderstorm, inhaling the fresh air only the advent of rain could produce.

How long has it been since she last experienced this? Since she felt the forceful thunder rumbling in the distance, goose bumps tickling her arms from the gentle sea breeze, heard the first set of raindrops claiming the silence in an instant,

metal scraping against the cold, wet pavement….

That was strange. Awakened from her reverie, she turned her head to the left to find out what-

Her hands immediately flew up to prevent the gasp escaping her lips, amazed and _torn_ at the sight before her.

He stood at the threshold of her destroyed garden, completely soaked to the bone. Every step he took was agonizingly slow, his body already past the point of exhaustion. His gunblade dragged alongside him, but his grip remained strong, ready to strike at any moment. His trench coat wore countless, irreparable tears with both fresh and dry blood seeping through them. His face was devoid of emotion. Lips slightly parted. Eyes half-open and empty. Staring down as if mesmerized by the ground.

"Seifer!"

Before his body could even tilt forward, Edea was already in front of him, arms tightly wrapped around his muscular frame. His gunblade fell from his grasp, clattering pathetically on the ground. She used all the strength her petite frame could gather and quickly laid him down on the ground, careful not to harm his already damaged body. Relief finally washed over her when she found a faint pulse.

Shielding him as much as she could from the relentless rain, she cradled his head on her lap. She noticed his eyes were still half-open, and she wondered for a moment if he was conscious.

"Seifer?" She gently nudged his shoulder. "Seifer, honey, can you hear me?"

Tears threatened to escape the back of her eyes when she received no response. Just the mere sight of him, lying in her arms, so helpless, so…

**broken**…

brought back the guilt that's been tearing at her soul since the war. Everything's she done to him, everything she made him do, she could never forgive herself for. Her body started to tremble, and she knew it wasn't because of the rain. She hesitantly caressed his cheek.

"Seifer, please…"

His body was deathly cold.

"Wake up."

His breathing so frighteningly _steady_.

The notion of death crept at the back of her mind. Her actions grew frantic from stroking his cheek to running her fingers through his hair, shaking his shoulder, pulling at his coat-just anything that could wake him up! Her heart was just about to burst into sobs, but it froze,

"_Please_. You have…to…"

when she saw the gold gleam in his eyes.


	2. Chapter I

**CHAPTER ONE**

Edea placed the phone back on its receiver on the wall. Doubt and worry reigned her thoughts once again, and she had to remind herself for the hundredth time that, ultimately, it was for the best.

Releasing her hold on the phone, she glanced around her kitchen. She finally finished cleaning it, but to get it the way she wanted it to look, that would require a complete makeover. Maybe she could go into town and start getting some supplies. It was only midday, so that left her plenty of time to do so and return before sunset. She might even be able to do some grocery shopping. But before any work could be done, she had to check on Seifer. She sighed as she made her way towards his room.

Ever since his arrival, he's been in a coma-like state. His condition thankfully didn't get worse but didn't get any better either, which worried her even more. She often found him tossing and turning, clawing at the sheets like they were the enemy, his brows fused together and sweating from the terrors. Sometimes she caught him gritting his teeth, and it unnerved her when she realized it was because he was holding back screams. But there were some days where he was completely silent and still, his face bearing no trace of previous nightmares. He slept so peacefully, as if he was just taking an afternoon nap, and she hoped that today she would find-

an empty bed.

It only took her a second to process what that meant. "Seifer?"

She searched the room, inside the closet, and even under the bed. Where could he possibly be? The bathroom was vacant when she passed it earlier, and she didn't hear any kind of commotion while she was cleaning the kitchen. The bedroom window was closed, and the bed was untouched aside from the dent on the pillow and one corner of the blanket tossed to the side, thus showing no signs of escape or intrusion. It was as if he just got up and left on his own.

_Oh no._

She bolted out of the room, racing down the halls, bursting through every door in her path, checking even the smallest of corners. Unsuccessful in her search, she paced back and forth in her living room wondering what she should do. She clasped her shaking hands tightly together, desperately trying to calm her nerves and disturbing thoughts.

This isn't good. He was nowhere in the house, which meant he could be anywhere outside. Hyne knows what state of mind he could be in! Should anyone come into contact with him or even recognize who he was, they'll arrest him and-

Edea stopped and took a deep breath._ No_. There was no time to dwell on such things. She had to find him immediately and make sure he was safe! She stormed out of her house, only to freeze at the front porch. There, at the center of her front yard, was the man she had been searching for, hunched over and rolling a broken column to the side. Seifer straightened his stance upon seeing her.

"Good morning, Matron," he greeted with a grin. "I thought I could help you out with the-oof!"

Edea tackled his torso with a crushing hug, so utterly relieved that she found him. He was alive. He was _safe_.

Her eyes blinked open.

"You're sweating." Taking a step back, she placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

Seifer shook his head, the faintest of a smile forming on his lips. "Just from moving the columns."

She frowned. "You shouldn't be exerting yourself like that."

"Believe me, this is the _least_ exertive thing I've done in years," he chuckled.

"That's beside the point," her maternal instincts soaring through the roof. "Seifer, you've **just** woken up! Let's go back inside, so I can make sure you didn't-"

"I'm _fine_," he softly interrupted with a smile.

He motioned at his unmarked body, in an attempt to reassure her that he was indeed fine. But she was still unconvinced, and before she could protest any further, he went back to his task. She sighed in defeat, not surprised by his disregard to his own well-being. It was so typical of him. But despite her ever-growing concern, her heart swelled with joy.

"Let me get you something to drink."

* * *

By the time Edea returned with the drinks, Seifer had already rolled out a column long and wide enough for them to sit on. She handed him a glass of lemonade and took a seat to the left of him. Moments passed, and neither of them spoke a word.

Edea sipped her tea, wondering if Seifer felt as uneasy as she did. It had been a few years since she last saw him and ages since they spent any real time together. She had so many questions to ask. What happened to him after the war? Where had he been all this time and what has he been doing? Does he even remember anything before he appeared at her doorstep? How could she properly approach the subject without driving him away?

Edea silently studied him, wondering if there was anything she should watch out for. Instead, all she saw was a young man gazing out into the ocean and enjoying the cool breeze. He looked healthy, relaxed, and… _subdued_. And in all her years of knowing him, Seifer was anything but that. It was a stark contrast from his fiery personality. His hunched posture and neutral stare at the ocean made him look so serene, and she didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

She decided it was best to start the conversation off light. "Thank you for clearing out the yard," she smiled.

"No problem."

"You cleaned it up so effortlessly and in no time at all. May I ask _why_ you were moving the columns?"

"I noticed you were doing some kind of spring cleaning," he shrugged.

Edea looked back down at her drink, trying to calm the blush from spreading any further across her cheeks. She still felt embarrassed for attempting the housewife lifestyle but more ashamed at the poor results.

"How long was I asleep?"

Edea gripped the cup in her hands, grateful for the change of subject but nervous for the topic he _had_ chosen. "Three weeks," she reluctantly admitted.

Seifer simply nodded and looked back to the ocean, a reaction she did not expect. Regardless, it was the perfect segue to talk about the situation and get some answers.

"Seifer-"

"So what other plans do you have, besides fixing up the place?"

Edea quickly caught the avoidance tactic. Maybe it was too early for discussion after all.

"A flower garden," she answered, not missing a beat. "Nothing too grand but enough to make the front yard look more decent."

"Flowers huh," Seifer looked towards the sky, probably trying to picture it. "As long as they're not pink, I'd be glad to help."

Edea blinked. "What's wrong with pink?" Not that it mattered, but she was just completely taken back by that response.

"It's too…girly."

Her lips tightened into a smile, stifling the laughter that threatened to escape. But Seifer knew better.

"It's a word!"

Edea brought a hand up to cover her laughter at his poor excuse of an argument and his indignant expression. Seifer, no doubt, could be described as the epitome of masculinity. So for him to say an immature word with such a childish, disgusted countenance was completely comical. It reminded her of a time when he was just a typical little boy and that expression so common.

"Thank you, Matron."

Her laughter slowly ceased as the words registered in her mind. For a moment, she thought it was her imagination, wishful thinking even, but his tense posture and lack of eye contact spoke otherwise.

"Just…"

Seifer nervously rubbed the back of his neck as she patiently waited for him to continue.

"Thank you," he finally said, shyly meeting her eyes.

And for the first time in weeks, Edea felt at ease. The weight on her heart lifted away, making everything feel so much lighter. It was endearing to see this side of him, to see such raw emotion in his _clear_ green eyes. She responded with a gentle smile, letting him know that she understood. He nodded and smiled in return, the light finally reaching his eyes.

Yes. There will be a time when Seifer would be ready to talk, and when he was, she will be there to support him every step of the way. But for now, she was content with carrying on as if nothing was wrong. After all, now would be the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time.

* * *

The second his door closed, he walked straight to the bed, stripping all his clothes off except his undershirt and pants, unceremoniously dropping the contents of his pockets on the side-table before finally collapsing on his bed. It was one thing to get exhausted from grueling consecutive battles, but it was another to sit in a chair all day long just doing paperwork. And for the past two years, that's **all** he's been doing.

But that depressing fact was completely insignificant at the moment. Just like sleeping on his stomach when he usually slept on his side, or the messy trail of clothes scattered about on the floor, or the fact that he has only a few hours before having to start another dull and routine day filled with a never-ending pile of paperwork. All of those facts became trivial once he felt the warmth and softness of his comforter. But just as he was about to drift away into silent oblivion, a vibration from his side-table stripped him of that glory.

Squall exhaled a long and annoyed sigh. It was the middle of the night. Couldn't his cell phone just wait a **few** more hours before reminding him that he had **one** voicemail? In retrospect, he should have listened to the message when he first got it to avoid dealing with it **now**.

After much internal debate, he forced himself up into a sitting position at the edge of the bed and grabbed the incessant phone with his left hand. He punched in the number to access his voicemail and rested his elbows on his knees. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he waited for the 'important' message that was keeping him from his long-awaited four-hour sleep.

" '… Hello, Squall? …' "

He slowly dropped his right hand upon hearing the familiar voice, his eyes shifting in the direction of his cell phone in disbelief._ Matron?_

" 'I'm sorry to bother you like this … I know how busy you can be over there…' "

Now he was on full alert. _Something's wrong_.

" 'I … don't really know who else to turn to, and it's not something I can speak freely about … especially on the phone … So if it's not too much trouble, could you please come over as soon as you can?' "

Squall ran a hand through his hair, mentally going over his schedule for any events he could potentially postpone or cancel. Quistis had organized his schedule for the next three months, which meant he would have to invent an excuse if he was going to get at least two days off without arousing suspicion. And knowing her, it would have to be a **flawless** one.

" '… Squall, please hurry…' "

He flinched at the desperation in her tone, immediately feeling the urge to brace himself as he anxiously waited for Edea to continue.

" '…Seifer, he…' "

_Seifer?!_

" '…He's alive…' "

His heart pounded against his chest, drowning out the world around him. He didn't hear the rest of what Edea had to say nor did he hear the automated message indicating that the voicemail was over. All he could hear was his heartbeat pulsating in his ears, ascending with each passing second of silence.


End file.
